


In the Blink of an Eye

by Vikkikate89



Series: We Are the Broken [1]
Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Depression, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Racist Language, implied eating disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 16:18:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13767849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vikkikate89/pseuds/Vikkikate89
Summary: In the blink of an eye, everything can change...It's been five years since Juice's release from Stockton State Prison. He has relocated himself to Colorado to separate himself from his past and has struggled to reconcile everything he endured during his time in prison. And then he found Lily. A lost young woman with real horror in her history who needed someone to look after her. And he needed someone to look after, so it was a perfect fit.Inside Stockton, AB shot-caller Ron Tully, finds himself cornered and at the mercy of a group of sadistic Triads. He lives, but his life is forever altered. And it only becomes worse when he learns the media grabbed hold of the story, broadcasting his face and his assault on every available news outlet.In the blink of an eye, everything can change.





	In the Blink of an Eye

**Author's Note:**

> A special thanks to TCD for helping inspire this story for me with your wonderful writing.

##  Tully

In the blink of an eye, everything can change.

Showering alone in Stockton State Prison was a luxury a shot-caller for the AB could afford. Tully was not often one to spend his money on personal luxuries. There were secured rooms to buy off and guards on his payroll. More pressing things that demanded his money. But having a shower to himself was the one thing he allowed himself. In fact, he insisted on it. You give up enough of your dignity when you become an inmate. But this was one thing he refused to budge on.

The water streamed down his back in warm rivulets, easing away the tightness and knots in his muscles. Tensions had been rising in Stockton State Prison. Alliances were forming and rumors of war had been circulating. It was not enough to make him worry -things were always under control on his end-, but even he was beginning to feel the stress. And not just from within. Communications had begun to reach him from the few men who outranked him. They were expecting him to be ready when the time came to make a move. And he would be ready. He was always ready.

Of that he was sure.

He had been lost so deep in his mind, taking longer than usual to finish his shower, that when the door opened down the hall, he assumed it was the guards coming to tell him his time was up. He promptly turned his front into spray, washing the last of the soap from his skin while refusing to give the guards a show. Besides, no one was stupid enough to move in on him, even when his back was turned. That was a good way to end up dead. Or worse.

He could hear the footsteps and the water shut off, making him cringe. Normally they had enough manners to warn him when he was about to be cut off. He would have to remind them why he paid them. His hands pushed his black hair back, forcing the water it had absorbed to run in a stream down his back, and he turned to grab a towel when he heard more footsteps. That made him pause. There was only ever two guards at the most sent to supervise him. But what he was hearing was far more than two. It was a group.

At once his pulse began to race, though he outwardly kept calm. He was naked and completely unarmed, but that would not make him defenseless. He quietly picked up his towel and tied it around his waist before turning around to confront whoever was barging in on him.

The first person to step into view was the very guard he had been paying to allow him his private shower. And not to Tully’s surprise, the man was avoiding direct eye contact, even while facing him. He cleared his throat, his hands resting on his belt, ready to reach for his gun or his nightstick if he needed to. Tully stared him down, expecting an explanation even if he suspected the guard was too cowardly to give him one.

“Well?” he prompted, listening as the group was moving forward, almost in sight.

The guard sighed. “You pay well, Tully. But they paid more.”

And then he saw them. Triads. Six of them. All of them armed with their own makeshift weapons and watching him with venom in their stares. The guard turned to them and muttered, “Ten minutes,” then slipped back out the door, probably to keep anyone else from coming in. Or getting out.

Tully’s heart was pounding. He was not used to being cornered and though he fully intended to put up a fight, he already knew this was not going to turn in his favor. If they did not kill him, they were definitely going to come close to it. Still, he did not beg for mercy. Did not utter a single word to them. He simply cracked his knuckles and waited for them to close in.

~*~

##  Juice

 

Winters in Colorado had been the first of many things Juice needed to grow accustomed to. It had been five years since his release from Stockton, something he still could not believe he had lived to see. Life on the outside was completely different. He no longer had the club; they had completely disowned him. He no longer had his family, his friends, the men who had become everything to him in Charming. He had even lost Charming. His release had come with two conditions from the Sons. His club tattoos needed to go, and he was not welcome back to that small town that had become his home.

Death seemed a better option. Or at least it had. Until he had managed to stumble into new ways to become needed.

As he sat inside his car, watching the dimly lit windows of the apartment in front of him, he mentally kept track of the time. The very reason he was even sitting there in the parking lot in the first place, had been inside for ten minutes. The agreement had been he would allow for fifteen. Only fifteen minutes and then he was going in after her.

The move needed to happen. They both knew it. From the first support group meeting to the tenth, every time he saw the bruises on her face, the ones she could not hide, he knew. Things needed to change, or she was going to die.

He had not approached her about it right away. He knew better. Whatever she was going through, she was clearly ashamed of it and trying to keep it from being noticed. He had watched others approach her, but none of them ever got very far before she found a way to break from the conversation and take off. So he waited until things escalated and she was in the hospital. Then he approached her.

The memory of her swollen face and her arm in that cast made his knuckles turn white as he clenched the wheel.

It had taken a few hospital visits while she was healing. Some gentle prodding as well as proving himself to be safe and trustworthy. But eventually, she agreed. And she was willing to accept his help. She was leaving. Finally getting out. But she would not be alone. They had a new apartment locked in, one with enough space for the both of them. They would continue to lead their separate lives, but at least neither of them would be entirely alone anymore. And Joan, the landlady, had been all too accommodating to them.

In the blink of an eye, everything can change.

Juice’s eyes wandered to the clock. It had been fifteen minutes exactly. He was unbuckling his seatbelt when the front door swung open and he saw her burst out in a run, trying to get to the car. Behind her, Juice could see  _ him. _ The reason she needed to leave. He was shouting after her, chasing after her despite not having a coat or even shoes on his bare feet. He was not going to let her leave so easily.

Juice did not wait. He leapt from the car and caught up to Lily, forcing himself between her and the enraged man pursuing her. “Car’s unlocked. Get in,” he told her as he passed her and he saw her shivered nod as she did not slow her pace.

“Lily!” her now ex-boyfriend hollered after her, either oblivious to Juice’s presence or completely ignoring him. “You’re not leaving! You’re not going anywhere!”

Juice lunged at the man, planting both of his palms into his chest and shoving him backwards hard enough to make him fall to the pavement. For a moment, the man looked stunned, surprised that anyone was even there to push him in the first place. When he looked up at Juice, his eyes were filled with panic and confusion, but Juice was not falling for it. He had seen what the man was capable of enough times. He stood his ground, fully prepared for retaliation.

“She’s done!” Juice barked at him. “She’s leaving! She’s not yours!”

The man stared up at him, a mixture of frantic rage in his eyes. “She’s not leaving!” he cried. “I- I’m the only one who can take care of her! I’m the only one who looks after her! She’s mine!”

“No, I’m not!” The cry had come from Lily, but Juice kept his eyes trained on the ex.

“Get in the car, Lily,” Juice called back to her, his tone firm but gentle. He would not order her around like the man at his feet had. He would not shout at her to listen to him. She had made this decision herself and he was simply there to help make sure it happened safely. “It’s okay. I’ve got it,” he added in assurance. Almost immediately, he heard the front passenger door open and then close again. She was safely inside. Juice began to pace backwards to his car, but the man was still stumbling his way off the ground.

“Lily!” he bellowed, clearly hoping she could hear him from inside the car. “Lily, don’t do this! He’s not safe! No one’s safe! I told you, I’m the only one who can protect you!”

Juice cringed. The man was clearly out of his mind. He seemed to genuinely believe the things he was shouting. “You don’t send someone you’re protecting to the hospital,” he stated flatly. “She’s leaving and you’re done. It’s over.”

Juice backed away enough until he felt the front bumper brush against his legs. He followed the curve of the car until he was able to back his way to the driver’s side door. The ex was on his feet again, but he was not pursuing them. All he continued to do was shout at Lily, desperate to make her hear him. Juice gripped the handle of the door and gave it a tug, sliding in quickly then slamming his hand on the automatic locks as soon as the door was shut. He did not wait to put on his seatbelt, not wanting to take his chances. The engine cranked into life and he backed out, pulling out of the space and tearing away from the parking lot, leaving that mess of a man behind to watch.

Beside him, Lily was trembling like a leaf, her hands gripping tightly on the edges of her seat. The backpack she had been sent inside to retrieve lay at her feet. They had made their plans so carefully. Her ex would be at work early in the morning and Juice would be there, helping her move out as many of her things as he could. They knew the ex would be back when she returned for her last item and while she had insisted on going in alone, Juice refused until she agreed on a time for him to go in after her. Just in case.

Clearly, that had been the right move.

Cautiously, he reached his hand over, brushing his fingers over her pale knuckles until he felt them relax. Her hand move to grab his and a small smile curled in the corner of his mouth.

“It’s over, Lily. It’s really over.”

 

~*~

##  Lily

 

Everything was happening so fast.

As the car drove farther and farther away from the apartment complex that used to be her home, she felt her heart hammer just a little faster in her chest. Hard enough that she feared it would come crashing through her ribs. When she felt Juice’s hand on hers, she wondered if he heard it from where he sat.

“It’s over, Lily. It’s really over.”

His words were reassuring but everything was hitting too hard for her to fully absorb. She could not stop checking the rearview mirror, afraid to see  _ his _ Buick pulling in behind them. What if he followed them? What if he found her? Juice had promised to protect her and to a strong degree she trusted him. It was just too hard to push away the fear. For right now at least.

“I talked to Joan,” Juice continued. Lily had to search the recesses of her mind for a moment. Joan? Joan… oh! The landlady. She had yet to meet her. “She said a tenant left behind some furniture you’re welcome to. I already had some of it moved to your room but you can decide what you want to keep. But at least you’ll have a bed. And then she said she’ll be by later with the paperwork. Make everything official.”

Lily said nothing and gave no sign of acknowledgment but she had heard every word. Her own room. Her own bed. She should have been excited. But she just felt more fear.

Juice’s hand gave hers a gentle squeeze and she squeezed back, letting a sigh slip through her nostrils.

Would she ever stop being afraid?

 

~*~

##  Tully

 

He was bleeding. He could not move, could not sit up. Completely unable to look. But he was bleeding. He could feel it trickling past his thighs as he lay on the shower floor. The Triads had left, having had their fill. When the guard had returned to collect him, all Tully heard was something that sounded like a gag and a choked out, “Jesus Christ!” Then he paged for the medical staff. One of the Triads would take the fall for it, if they had not already planned for a scapegoat.

But none of those details mattered. All Tully could think in that moment was he was bleeding.

He. Was. Bleeding.

And maybe that was not just blood draining out of him. Maybe it was also-

He wanted to retch, but his ribs were on fire. He knew some were broken. He had felt them snap. His right eye would not open. His whole head throbbed and he felt like a pack of monkeys were dwelling inside his skull, chipping away at it with ice picks. He lay completely still, unwilling to move. Everything hurt. And the room was going dim.

Oh please, let this be death. Please, make it stop.

He was ready to die. He hoped he would. Being swarmed by a group of Triads was humiliating enough for an AB shot-caller. But to be kept alive to endure the shame after…

He did not remember the medical staff running to his aid. Did not remember being loaded onto a gurney and rushed to the hospital ward. All he remembered was blackness and the hope that he would never wake up.

 

~*~

##  Juice

 

Watching Lily take in her new surroundings was very much like watching a rescue animal survey its new environment. It did not matter that she was now in a safe place, there was still that timid hesitation. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets of her hoodie and she almost appeared smaller than she already was. And she was not a very big person. In fact, he had wondered often when he visited her in the hospital if she potentially had an eating disorder as well? He hoped not but was already planning to keep an eye out for it.

He followed her down the hall at a distance, watching as she viewed the kitchen from the outside -not wandering in-, then made her way in the direction of the bedrooms. There were three of them despite their need for only two. At the time, when Juice had first entered Joan’s office to look at possible rentals for himself and Lily, she had informed them that the three bedroom as all she still had available but was more than willing to work with them.

“If you get yourselves a third roommate, I’ll raise your rent a bit,” she told him, a faint whiff of cannabis clinging to her clothes and hair. “But I’ll give you the two bedroom rate for now. Ain’t your fault that’s all I’ve got.” Her wrinkled smile made his spirits lift a bit. More than once he had caught her eyes wandering over him and he wondered if that had anything to do with her generosity. That or perhaps she was just a kind landlady. Whatever it was, Juice was not going to question it. Having the extra space would be nice.

Juice had picked the smallest of the three for himself, having no need for a big bedroom and moved the spare furniture that would be Lily’s into the bedroom across the hall from him, leaving the vacant one sitting at the very end of the hall, right between them both. His door was closed, but Lily’s was open, allowing her to step in the doorway and take a look inside.

There was nothing too impressive. Just an old wooden dresser, an end table, and a full-size bed sitting in a beat-up oak frame that was ugly but still standing. Even the mattress appeared to be in good shape. “Gonna have to run to the store,” he noted as he stood behind her, gauging her expression. “Forgot I don’t have any spare sheets or pillows. You’re gonna want those.” She continued to stand where she was, staring into the room with a wary look and Juice cleared his throat awkwardly. “Go ahead and take a look,” he encouraged her gently. “It’s your room.”

Lily took a deep breath, then crossed the threshold, moving slowly with light steps, almost as if she were afraid of making any sound. Her green eyes flickered from wall to wall, seeming to map out the size of her new living space, then she spotted the closet and pulled the door open to look inside. “It’s a walk-in,” Juice informed her with a smile. “Figured you’d want the bigger closet. In case you have a lot of clothes or something.”

She stepped inside her closet, taking in the space around her, then stepped back out, a small smile on her face.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered.

He left her alone after that, letting her get settled and sort through the few boxes of personal belongings they had managed to secure. He had offered to go with her to retrieve more but she was adamant that she had enough so he left it alone.

Instead, he headed into the kitchen, feeling they both needed something to eat after the evening they had both endured. Pulling out a skillet and some cooking oil, he pulled out some strips of grilled chicken and vegetables, deciding a stir fry would hit the spot. It only took a few moments of work before the smell lured Lily back out of her room and she crept up behind him, peering over his shoulder to see what he was cooking.

“Oh that smells good,” she murmured and he smiled, glancing over his shoulder at her.

“Just about done too. Wanna grab the plates? They’re in that cabinet…” he said, pointing to the upper left door behind him. She withdrew from him and he soon hear the clatter of stacked plates being shifted until she pulled out what she needed and closed the door once more. He shut off the stove, grabbing a hot pad, and carried the loaded skillet to their small dining table, setting it down on the hot pad. Lily searched the drawers until she found the silverware, and Juice pulled out a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge, along with two glasses from a nearby cabinet.

They ate in silence at first, Juice making sure she had filled her plate to her heart’s content before serving himself anything. He could eat plenty, he knew that. In fact, he probably could have polished off the entire skillet himself, but he wanted to make sure she was eating.

Lily had a short build, standing probably no higher that five feet, if that. She had a terribly thin frame, one that concerned him, but beautiful porcelain skin. Her hair was a deep auburn and she had a set of striking green eyes that always stood out to him, even when her face was bruised. She was a quiet and timid girl, but there was kindness in her gaze in spite of it.

He did not know what had lured him into needing to help her, but he was involved now, and he would make good on his word. He would do at least one thing right in his life.

As he was clearing his plate and contemplating taking seconds, his eyes wandered to the clock and he let out an amused huff. “Joan must have forgotten she was supposed to come over with the lease.” Lily looked up at him curiously until his smile made her reflect it. “That’s okay. We can go see her in the morning.”

“I have the deposit,” Lily spoke up, her eyes wandering to her half-empty plate. “Just not the first and last month’s rent…” she added meekly.

“I’ll be able to cover you,” he replied. “And we can talk to Dr. Chandler at group tomorrow. She said she has resources to help. Job hunting and that stuff.”

She nodded while looking back up at him again. “Haven’t had a job since high school,” she admitted. “Keeping busy will help.”

“Usually does,” he agreed quietly.

 

~*~

##  Tully

 

The beeping monitors slowly drew him back into the waking world. His vision blurred, then cleared, allowing him to see the familiar hospital settings, complete with machines and IV’s, all attached to him and doing God knows what. He expected his head to be in a fog from pain medication but he was painfully alert. In fact, too painfully.

His ribs were the first pain he was aware of. Every breath was searing and the fear of coughing and the agony that could cause entered his mind. His eye still could not open and it hurt too much to try. Breathing through his nose was difficult, making him suspect it too was broken.

But the worst pain… the pain he could feel down there… down where he feared he was still bleeding…

Nausea washed over him but he bit it back. Vomiting now would be an agonizing mistake.

There was a figure sitting in the chair beside him. Not a doctor. But also not a Triad or else he would be dead by now. Of that he was certain.Though it hurt, his neck raw and bruised from there they held him down, he turned his head ever so slowly, just so he could see who was sitting there.

It was an AB member. His right-hand man at that. And the grim look in his eyes did nothing to ease Tully’s nerves.

The oxygen mask over his face prevented Tully from talking. All he could do was stare as  the man beside him shifted uncomfortably. Clearly he had something to say and Tully waited for him to just spit it out.

“Those chinks made the news,” he stated coldly. “We just heard. They got your face all over the TV right now. Guess they think it’s some sort of poetic justice. Notorious neo-nazi gets assaulted and gang raped by Triads.”

Tully could barely process what he was saying.

“Word came down. The AB is planning retaliation… but in the meantime, this makes us look bad. Number 3 in the AB becoming a bitch to the chinks… It’s a fucking joke.”

The man sighed, looked down, then finally looked Tully in the eye.

“You’re out, Tully.”

 

~*~

##  Juice

 

The screaming began around three in the morning. Juice shot upright in his bed, his heart pounding from the sudden start, and before he could think he was on his feet, darting towards Lily’s bedroom. 

Through the shadows he could see her form thrashing under the sheets, fighting off whatever nightmare had gripped down on her mind. He flipped on her lights and was at her side in a flash, firmly gripping her by the arms and giving her a careful shake. “Lily! Lily, wake up!”

A sharp gasp, and then she was tearing her way out of his grip. Juice stood near the edge of the bed, watching as she sat upright, curling herself into a ball and gripping her head in her hands. Her breathing was fast and ragged and her entire body was shaking. Whatever it was she had been dreaming about, he knew that look. He was all too familiar with it. Nightmares of the past were one thing even he had not fully overcome.

“Lily?” he asked cautiously. At once she dissolved into sobs, rocking back and forth as he slowly took a seat at the edge of the mattress. “You were having a bad dream.” She sniffled hard, her body still wracked with sobs, and he sat patiently beside her, waiting for them to calm down. His instincts told him to wrap his arms around her, but he did not know what kind of space she needed in that moment. The last thing he wanted was to overwhelm her.

Instead, he placed a hand on her back, testing the waters. There was a soft flinch but she did not pull away. So he began rubbing slow circles, trying to ignore her protruding vertebrae. “Anything I can do?” he asked in a soft voice.

She sniffled again and shook her head, lifting her head up to wipe at her puffy eyes. “R- remembering…” she stammered. “B- bad… bad memories…”

“I… I know,” Juice responded. “I have them too.”

She looked at him, trying to read his gaze, then wiped at her eyes again. “T- too dark… too quiet…”

Juice nodded, thinking for a moment, then stood up. “Got an idea… Come with me?” He offered his hand to her and she tentatively took it before crawling out of the bed to follow him. With a soft squeeze, he led her into the living room, grabbing one of her pillows on the way out, and brought her to the couch. After sitting himself down and propping the pillow up on the other side of the couch for her, he picked up the remote and turned on the TV, lowering the volume enough so they could still just barely hear the dialogue. “Done this before,” he explained as she sat down beside him. “Sometimes helps to have something that keeps your brain… still connected to the outside world I guess. Keeps it from going in too deep when you’re out.” 

Lily let herself rest against the pillow, watching the screen in silence while Juice covered her over with a blanket. She only remained still for a few minutes before sitting up again, picking up the pillow, and propping it against his lap. He could not help a small smile a she settled back in again, feeling the warmth of her weight against his leg, and he reached a hand down, running his fingers through her hair.

Her eyes closed and she let out a slow breath. “T- tell me I’m safe, Juice.”

He looked down at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “You’re safe, Lily.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

 

~*~

##  Lily

 

It was around six in the morning when the volume of the TV rose enough to wake her. She stirred softly, groaning at the stiffness in her neck, then glanced up from Juice’s lap, afraid he had not slept much at all with her using his leg for an additional pillow. His eyes were fixed on the TV and he was completely motionless. That worried her.

“Juice?”

She sat up, rubbing at her neck before looking at the screen. The mugshot of a man she did not recognize was in the upper right corner along with a banner at the bottom that read, “Assault at Stockton State Prison.”

_ “...was later relocated to an undisclosed hospital outside of the facility, and is reported to be in critical condition. The attack was said to have been made by several members of a Chinese gang known as the Triads. Investigators are not yet releasing names or further details…” _

“Someone you knew?” Lily asked, unable to help noticing the iron cross and the ‘SS’ tattoos visible on the man’s neck.

“I… He was…” Juice was stumbling and stammering so hard over his words that he began to tremble. Lily felt a pit form in her stomach. He either knew the man and was worried for him, or he knew the man and it was bad. And she wished she did not suspect it was the latter.

Juice cleared his throat and took a deep breath, looking away while she gently reached over to take his hand. “Okay… okay, you don’t have to talk about it,” she whispered. She was curious, but not if it was going to hurt him to talk. “Wanna change the channel? Or throw in a movie?”

He did not answer. His eyes wandered back to the screen and he watched a bit more before rising from the couch with a grunt, stretching out his sore back and turning his head from side to side to make his neck crack. “Why are they even broadcasting this?” He was trying to make his voice sound casual as he shuffled towards the kitchen. She could hear him digging out the coffee grounds and setting up the pot and she remained where she was, sensing he needed the physical space.

“I mean…” he continued, having to clear his throat again. “Th- that’s not even local. Why would they th- think anyone out here would… would care?”

Lily shrugged. “Neo-nazis are a big target right now?” she offered. “People love hearing stories like this.” The sink turned on, filling the pot with water, then she listened to him pour it into the machine. And then he went quiet. Long enough to make her wander into the kitchen to check.

Juice stood frozen with his hands pressed flat against the counter. His head hung low and she spotted something fall from his cheek and land on the marble surface. Lily’s frown deepened and she took a step closer, trying not to startle him. “Juice?”

He sniffled hard, then straightened up, brushing at his face and pacing in a twitchy manner. “H- he… H- he was… I…” He was struggling so hard to speak she could see his face growing red and hear his breathing grow fast and shallow. 

“Juice, you don’t have to-”

“Why would they sh- show that? Wh- why would th- they…”

He could not finish the sentence, his breathing growing heavier, signalling a panic attack. Lily stepped closer to him, resting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a slow rub. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and digging his nails into the counter. Whatever happened, Lily was able to take a pretty good guess and it made her heart break. She knew Juice had baggage. Knew he was an ex-con. But this was the first time she had truly glimpsed the damage. And she knew deep down that this was only barely scraping the surface of it.

His eyes opened after several minutes and several deep breaths. He wiped at his eyes, sniffed hard, then pretended nothing had happened. As he reached for the full coffee pot, he stated flatly, “TV stays off. Just DVD’s or Netflix… but no broadcast stuff.” He filled his mug and took a deep, scalding drink, hissing as he burned his tongue in the process. And then he looked at her. Finally made eye contact before he spoke again.

“I  **never** want to see that face again.”


End file.
